Better insect control when air is pulled down through grain bins

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entomologist Frank Arthur and agricultural engineer Mark Casada experimented with storage bins whose grain masses were cooled with either pressure aeration or suction aeration. Pressure aeration uses fans to push ambient air from the bottom of the bin upwards, while suction aeration involves reversing the fans to pull air from the top downward.

More About:

Aeration—blowing ambient air through grain storage bins—has been used for decades to maintain the quality of grain by keeping it cool, as well as to manage stored insect pests. But few recent studies have examined whether it's better to direct air from above or below as a means of using temperatures of 60 degrees Fahrenheit or below to control insects.

To find out, U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) entomologist Frank Arthurand agricultural engineer Mark Casadaexperimented with storage bins whose grain masses were cooled with either pressure aeration or suction aeration. Pressure aeration uses fans to push ambient air from the bottom of the bin upwards, while suction aeration involves reversing the fans to pull air from the top downward.